What Makes A Game Fun - 3 Tips To Make A Fun Game

What makes a game fun? How do we know when a game is actually fun? How do you design fun when there are so many different ways to create it? In this video I talk about 3 core concepts of fun.

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[LinkingYellow]

It goes back to the origins of "play". Children play as a natural way to learn about the world around them. Learning later gets ruined by school, where what you learn is literally dictated by someone else. However when we play games, that control seems to be given back. We're given a situation and some rules, and told to figure things out. Then when those rules are consistent and make sense we learn how we can use those rules to complete challenges and progress forward, and that creates a sense of wonder. I think you hit the nail on the head with your list, but I'd like to add that it should be in the context of learning. These things themselves aren't fun. For example, take a rock paper scissors game against a simple AI. Dispite your choices, whatever option you pick will lead to a win, loose, or tie at random. Even though there is a challenge to beat the AI, you cannot learn from your successes nor failures, and even if there is a progression system, it will leave no impression on you. However once you give that AI patterns that the player can learn from, or once there is a second player, the game gets much deeper and more fulfilling because the player is studying their opponant, and learning and adapting from their choices.

[randomrandom]

The "flood" twist in Halo was so good, when you get into that room and then the little things start to come from everywhere, that was such a great twist with a great build up.

[harrysadlermusic]

I've been a bit lost in the weeds lately, building systems and features, and needed a bit of perspective. This video provides just that. Thanks!

[PanOfDead]

Great video. I think another point to make a fun game is make rewards according to the difficulty of the obstacles.

[MartinHindenes]

What if you start out with something you think will be fun, but after playing it as you make it you get bored of it. I think usually that's a bad sign, but could also be that you've played it so much that it doesn't feel fun anymore to you.
The opposite can also happen: you end up spending more time playtesting than developing because your game is addictive.

[Gabifuertes]

Hotline Miami works wonderfully on these concepts. It's challenging, there is some little randomness forcing you to keep your eyes peeled, and this on itself creates a sense of wonder, but they went ahead and have a great story complementing this aspect. Progression is rewarded by new bits of the story, and new weapons and masks, which can provide a significantly different playstyle. You have to plan a strategy, though there is more often than not multiple ways of achieving your goals. The scoring system motivates you to try to get combos and a highly aggressive playstyle, which is a lot harder than the alternative, hence increasing replayability.

[chibobinichubby]

Thank you so much for this video, this has a huge contribution in my current game specifically the progression

[OPTactics]

Awesome vid. I'm an indie dev and I love your channel. Great game design analysis. Keep it up!

[phodaOG]

Might be just me but iam giving my vote for you to remove or at least tone down that intro, its like lets get crazy shits about to go down because i will do 2x360noscopes. IMO its just better if its really subtle or no intro at all, maybe give your logo and stuff at end?

[NinaNova_]

These points are *priceless*. I am currently at my normal stage of prototyping that I become unmotivated because everything that I worked so hard to implement all comes together to be... nothing; but that's the problem! I have no objective, progression, and wonder. Thank you for setting me on the right track.

[kafein]

I rarely comment youtube videos but you make good ones, so keep on the good work ^^

[rvalerio]

Great video!

Delivering the right difficulty is incredibly important. Like the goal, obstacle and bridge example. setting the right challenge, providing enough tools and letting the players have that "ah HA!" moment is very powerful. Players should feel a sense of competence and increasing mastery, that's one of the greatest satisfactions.

Players should be able to feel they are in control to some extent, that it's in their power to progress and become better, so randomness has to be reigned in and used in relevant situations, but not abused in such a way that the experience is very unpredictable. Even procedural worlds are not 100% random, there are algorithms cleverly designed to craft the best levels possible.

Feedback is also crucial and is delivered in many different ways. Visuals, text, sounds, vibration can all be used to tell the player about pending events, like a boss attack, or how they are performing, and allow them to learn from their mistakes if necessary. Even death can be a good way to give feedback, like the Super Meat Boy. Dying is not a punishing and painful event that sets you back a lot since the levels are short and respawn is fast.

[TylerSane]

Also I think to make a good game the little details almost matter more then the big ones! And it's always smart to have good AI instead of weak enemy, medium enemy, strong enemy! Have you're NPCs do stuff based on the situation like if they see you make them look closer instead of calling back up in an instant or even stuff like pull out a side arm instead of reloading there gun while you shoot them! One game that really impressed me recently was Days Gone! That games story is amazing

[SirStarKnight]

A very interesting video, thank you!
I would add personalization, and freedom of choice and tools to use. I just love when I can make my PG's look AND powers the way I want. So I can say "Yes, this is me. This is how I want to solve these challenges."

[DavidHager]

You had me at wonder. That's one of my favorite words.

[FrenchTheBroHost]

I think player customization is a big part of the fun aspect for me in video games, even if it’s small.

[SharifSourour]

Mine is ironically both just tapping and very challenging at the same time, based on flappy bird but with different physics simulation look music, obstacle and level design + points system and bonus stages.

[Snaps]

If games are too complicated theyre not fun too. Im a fan of oldschool NES or SNES games like for example TLoZ. Its simple, its fun and it works. Its pure exploring. And I would like to make games like that

[mojko]

Can you make a video where you create a game or just program from like a livestream or something? I'd love to see that

[Game-dwgg]

Humour and characters play a big part too